Mower



8 Sheets-:Sheet lv L. IIERPELDING` (No Model.)

MOWBR.

Patented Peb. 21,1888.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. ERPELDING.

' MOWER.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb.' 21, 1888..

NVENTR lfamer Erpezfinf .By his Attorneys WITN ESSES 3 Sheets-sheet s] L. BRPELDING.

(No Model.)

MOWER.

N0. 378,390; Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

y UNITED STATES PATENT' rricn.

LAMBERT ERPELDING, OF LEONARDVILLE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR- IO THE MCCORMICK HAIR/TESTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,390. dated February 21, 1888.

Application tiled April 2, 1885. Serial No. 161.047. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAMBERT EnrnLnrnG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leon ardville, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that style or type of mowers known center draft,7 in which the finger-bar or cutter is placed before the two carrying-wheels to out a swath directly in advance of them, and in which the draft-tongue extends forward from the center of the axle over the center ofthe finger-bar, bringing the team in the standing grass in frontof the whole machine. Certain improvementsin suc-h machines have been made by William R. Baker, of Chicago, Illinois, and incorporated in a inachine built by the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, and,as several features of my invention have relation to one er the other of his improvements, I have represented my present invention as built upon a machine corresponding in general features to this, without, however, intending tolimit myself thereby in anywise to the adoption of that specic ferm of machine.

One object I have in view is to brace the finger-barat the free end, or the end away from the long arm of the main frame in such ma ehines, it having been found that the employment of a single thrust-bar extending diagonally from the main frame to said finger-bar at that end and hinged thereto did not give the requisite stiffness, and I therefore add another thrust-bar extending from the outer end of the axle, outside the carrying-wheel, to the casting which supports the finger-bar, and riveted thereto.

Other features of my invention will appear from the ensuing description.

In the drawings, Figurel is atop plan view of a centerdrai't mower embodying my invention. Fig. l is a detail showing the construetion and arrangement ofthe hangers whereby the draft-frame is connected to the main frame. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 3, a detached View, in elevation, of the mechanism at the free end of the ngenbar; Fig. 4, Re a detail of the shoe at the heel end ofthe dnger-bar; Figs. 4. and 4h, details of the universal-joint connection between said shoe and the main frame; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7, details, respectively, of the bracket which connects the draft-frame with the main frame and also supports the lifting rocleshaft, the bell-crank,and the short link or pitman which connects said bell-crank with the heel of the cutter-bar; and Figs. 8 and 9, enlarged details of the gearing and the guard and braceplate which shields such gearing and braces t-he frame where it is located.

A is the axle, herein shown as a cylindrical metal shaft; and B represents the carryingwheels, turning loosely on said axle. To the axle is secured the main frame C, consisting in the present instance of asingle bar of gaspipe or pipe-iron, having one short arin, c, parallel with its adjacent carryingwheel and terminating with the axle on that side, and one long arm, C', parallel with the opposite carryingwheel and passing in front thereof to support the heel of the finger-bar, the two arms being connected just behind the axle and between the wheels by a tie-bar, D, united to them by T-couplingsor Ts dd. A. diagonal brace, D', extends from the flaring extremity of the long arm to the rear bar-of the france, and is secured intermediately to the axle and to the tie-bar.

The draft-frame has usually been sleeved to the axle; but as a tendency has been found in center-draft mowers' so constructed to force the nger-bar into the ground and catch, I propose to hinge it to the main frame beneath and, if anything, slightly in the rear of the axle, so that its weight may tend to liftthe finger-bar and ease it upon the ground. To this end hangers d2 are secured to said main frame and provided with pivot-pins, to which are 9c pivoted brackets D?, having seats d forthe re eeption of a connecting-bar of metal, Dit, in advance of and rparallel with the axle. Bolts secure the strip and brackets together, and also secure the rear end of the hounds E to said strip and brackets. The triangular space marked out by the strip and by the hounds in their convergence to the draft-tongue E is filled with planling to forni the platform or foot-board for the driver. The effect of this Ico e crasse arrangement isnot only to throw the weight of the draft-frame and of the driver, whose seat F is supported from the tongue on a standard, f, inclined rearwardly over the axle,upon the main frameiu rear of the aXle when the frame is inclined, as it normally is, but also to cause the draft itself to tend to swing said main frame about the axle, lifting it in front. The linger-bar will thus be greatly lightened upon the ground.

The draft-framesupporting brackets are prolonged beyond the seats of their connectingstrip, and at the end have yoke-shaped bearings j" for the reception of a rock-shaft, F', which is conlined therein by keys or cotters f2. At each end of this rock-shaft,outside the brackets, are fixed lifting-segments f3,which receive chains f4, connected, respectively,with the long arm of the main frame on one side and to the thrust-bar on the other, and a lever, F2, with its rack-segment and locking-dog, serves to operate this rock-shaft and raise or lower the finger-bar to pass obstructions or for transportation from or to the field.

To the front end of the long franiearm is bolted a casting, G,which at its rear has a forwardly-projecting ball-stud, g, to make a universal connection with the rear part of the shoe at the heel end of the linger-bar, and at its front end has a subtending flange or ledge, gto receive the toe of said shoe and permit it to play up and down while shielded by the hooded form of said casting at that point. Beyond this the casting is vertically slotted to receive the stub-axle ofthe lead-wheel G and permit it to be adj usted up and down to change the height of cut. The shoe H at this end of the finger-bar has atits rear abridge or raised portion, 71., affording, together with an offsetting ear, h', beneath, bearings for the bellcrank H,which will therefore partake of the floating or rocking movements of the fingerbar. In this bridge part is also formed a socket, h2, for the reception of the ball-stud from the casting on the frame-bar. As the bellcrank, being supported in the shoe itself instead of upon the frame-bar, partakes of the movements ofthe shoe, it is unnecessary to have a universal-link connection between it and the heel of the cutter-bar. This enables me to use a shortlink, h3, and to connect both cutter-bar and bell-crank to this link by ordinary pivots. The other or, as I will call it, the free end of the finger-bar is connected with the axle by means of two thrust-bars, one of which, I, is journaled on said axle between the carryingwheel and the adjacent or shorter bar of the main frame, and is thence carried forward and bent outwardly beyond the tread of the wheel, and the other of which, I', is also pivoted to said axle outside the carrying-wheel, and is straight. These two bars are riveted in seats on opposite sides of a casting, K, resembling in'its main features the casting at the heel end of the finger-bar, and supporting the leadwheel adjustably in a vertical slot like said first-named casting and in the same manner,

also having a suhtendng angeJn and. hood for the reception of the toe of theshoe, At its rear, however, it has a ball-socket, k', in line with the stud on the other, in which a ballstud, Z, from the shoe L is received. The iinger-bar L is thus supported in its rear by two universal couplings, which permit it all the freedom of movement demanded in its rocking or tilting motions and in the resultant rise and fall at the free end.

In bearings near the rear vof the frame is mounted the driving-shaft M, having ratchet- Y clutched pinions m at its ends engaging with annular gears M on the carrying-wheels, and a spur-gear, N, turning loosely on the shaft and engaged therewith at will by means of a clutch, n, controlled by the driver. This gear meshes with and drives a small pinion, O, fast to a short counter-shaft, o, supported in a bracket depending from the main frame. This counter-shaft bears at its outer end, between the carrying-wheel and the long frame-bar, the wrist-pin for the pitman P, whereby motion is communicated to the bell-crank and ultimately to the cutter.

For the purpose of protecting the gearing from beneath, and also bracing the frame, I employ a shield, Q, of the form shown-,that is, it has one arm, q, which is bolted to the rear bar of the frame, another arm, q', which is bolted to the tie-bar, a third ar'm, q2, which is secured to the long arm of the frame by the same bolt which fastens the T-coupling of the tie-bar thereto, and a fourth arm, g3, which is bolted to the long arm close to the bearing for the main drivingshaft and by one of the bolts securing the cap-plate of said bearing. Between these fastenings it is curved, as shown in cross section in Fig. 9, to subtend and closely follow the outline ot' the prime gear and the pinion which it drives,and has bearings formed integral with its body for the pinion-shaft. This makes a very strong brace for that corner of the frame where the principal gearing is mounted and where the greatest strain comes upon such gearing, and prevents its being disarranged.

I claim- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the main frame supported upon the axle, hang1 ers from lsaid main frame, brackets pivoted to said hangers, a metal strap connecting said brackets in advance of and alongside the axle, and the hounds and draft-frame secured to said brackets and strap.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the main framesupported upon the axle, hangers from said main frame, brackets pivoted to said hangers, the metal strap connecting said brackets, the hounds and draft-frame secured to said brackets and strap, the lifting rockshaft mounted in open sockets in the ends of the brackets, and the keys confining said rock-shaft in the sockets. I

3. The combination, substantially as here IOO Ito

iuhefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the main frame, the inger-bar, the ball-stud projecting from a bracket-casting depending from the rigid arm of the main frame, and the shoe at the heel end of the tinger-bar,hav ing a ball'soekot at its rear receiving said ballstud.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the long arm of the main frame, the casting secured to its advance end, the hanger from the rear of said casting, having a forwardlyprojecting ball-stud, the subtending flange at the front of said casting, and the shoe at the heel of the finger-bar, having a ball-socket at its rear to engage with said ball-stud, and as to its toe normally resting upon said subtendiug flange.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbe'ore set forth, in a eenter-dralt mower, of

the casting at the free end of the finger-har, the oblique thrustbar pivoted to the axle inside the wheel and to said casting, and a seoond thrust-bar extending from the axle outside the wheel also to said casting.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a center-draft niower, of the casting at the free end of the ingenbar, the oblique thrust-bar pivoted to the axle inside the wheel and riveted to said casting, and the straight thrust-bar pivoted to the axle outside of thc wheel, and also riveted to said casting.

7. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the casting at the free end of the finger-bar, having a ball-socket formed in a hanger at its rear and a hooded subtending fiange, and the VIiuger-barshoeatsaidend,havingarearwardlyprojecting hallsstud to engage in said socket,

and as to its toe resting upon said Bange when in normal position.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in a center-draft mower, of the mainframe and its long arni, the casting on the end of said main fra1ne,the thrust-bars and the Casting at their end, and the linger bar pivoted at its rear to cach casting by a universal joint.

9. The shoe at the heel end of the fingerbar, formed, substantially as described, with the bridge at its rear, the rearward-extendinglug or ear, and the .bearings formed in said bridge and ear for the reception of the bell-crank lever. l0. The shoe at the heel end of the fingerbar, formed, substantially as described,wth a rearwardlyextendi ng bridge, a lug, and bearings formed in said bridge and lug for the elbow-lever, and also with the ball-'socket for the reception of the converse member of the coupling.

11. The combination, substantially as here inbe'fore set forth, with the main frame and the gearing located at one corner thereof, of the shield subtendiug and protecting said gearing and bolted to said frame and its tiebar at or about the four points stated, and for the purpose described.

12. The shield formed, substantially as described,-With an outline snbtending and following the outline of the prime gear and pinion, and with the four arms for attachment to the main frame at the points indicated.

18. The bracket for the support ofthe draftfranie and lifting rock-shaft, formed, substantially as described, with a bearing for attachment to its pivot and a seat to receive the end of the metal strap which ties it to the other, and au upper socket for the reception of the rock-shaft at its upper end.

LAMBERT ERPELDNG. Witnesses:

GEO. B. ERPELDING, Jol-1N ERPELDING. 

